


Fight for it

by Sandra_Taylor



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Book/Movie: Prince Caspian, M/M, Pevensie children are angry and they have every right to be, Prince Caspian reimagined, author's take on Prince Caspian book
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27162697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandra_Taylor/pseuds/Sandra_Taylor
Summary: Feeling the air on their skin, feeling the magic surrounding them, heals wounds Edmund wasn‘t aware he carried with him around England.The Pevensies come back to Narnia to help Caspian. But this time they're angry and they're not willing to leave their beloved country again.
Relationships: Edmund Pevensie/Peter Pevensie
Comments: 6
Kudos: 104





	Fight for it

**Author's Note:**

> There's an apocalypse going on and every day is a new disaster and escapism is my favourite form of dealing with this.  
> This was supposed to be a short, sweet Pedmund fic. Didn't end up like it, but it's still somewhat-short and sweet-ish, with a little bit of salt on Pevensie's behalf from me.  
> All my thanks to eliottmoon. For her beta skills and for roping me into this damn fandom and making me itching to write something for it.  
> I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this.

Feeling the air on their skin, feeling the magic surrounding them, heals wounds Edmund wasn‘t aware he carried with him around England. But that’s nothing compared to the way he feels in their armory.

Sure, there’s dust everywhere and it is apparent that the place has been abandoned for centuries, the air itself feeling old and ancient. But at the same time… it feels like no time passed at all. The armory is still the same, unlike everything else they’ve met here so far.

Edmund looks up to the eyes of the statue that stands behind the chest he opened to see what’s left of his armour, of his weapons. Of course Peter’s sword is unchanged, the time having no effect on it. But Edmund’s own swords, shorter and somewhat smaller, didn’t have the same quality to them so when he tries to take them out he realizes that they’re of no use.

He knows that the statue behind the chest is supposed to be him and he remembers thinking that the artist did a good job with it. But now he doesn’t recognize it. It doesn’t help that the painting is no longer visible on the white marble. Plus, he needs to look up to see the statue’s face, and not just because it’s standing on a pedestal.

He hates that he’s back in his teenage body. And he despises the fact that he’s going through puberty again.

He feels Peter’s eyes on him and he steadily ignores it as he tries to find something useful in the chest in front of him.

“Come on, Lucy,” says Susan and when Edmund turns to her her eyes are just going from Peter to him before turning back to Lucy. “Let’s change… somewhere else.”

“Why?” whines Lucy, her skirt already down as she’s working on stripping from her stockings as well. “It’s not like we weren’t nude around each other before. It was basically the only way to enjoy a swim in the summer.”

“Lucy!” Susan hisses and when Edmund glances at her she’s once again looking from Edmund to Peter to Lucy, glaring at her a little bit.

“Oh. Oh! You want to leave them alone so they can talk!” Peter snorts and even Edmund smiles a little, turning around to lean against the chest and to look at Lucy. “Well, let’s go, then!”

She gathers her dress and marches out of the armory.

“Whatever will you tell her when she realizes that she’s about thirty centimeters too short and missing all her curves?”

Susan sighs and gets a dagger from her own chest.

“We’ll figure out something. Take your time, you two,” she adds with a small smile before leaving as well.

Edmund’s smile falls as he looks away, away from where Susan is disappearing on the stairs, away from Peter still standing by his own chest. Instead he tries to take out his armour. He knows he’s smaller than he used to be (and now that’s a mindwrap if he ever saw one), but surely something will work for now…

“Ed,” Peter speaks softly, gently laying his hand on Edmund’s arm. Edmund jumps a little, stepping away from where Peter is suddenly standing right next to him. Edmund takes another step back to create a space in between them. He also crosses his arms on his chest.

“Now you want to talk?”

And maybe he doesn’t need to be so venomous. Maybe Peter doesn’t deserve it.

But maybe he’s been crying himself to sleep the whole year they spent in England and he’s sick and tired of the heartbreak.

Peter flinches away, his hopeful face fading and being replaced by guilt.

“I’m so sorry, Edmund. In England it’s so different.” He smiles a little, the shy, boyish grin that twists Edmund’s heart so painfully he stops breathing for a second every time he sees it. “I guess I’m just braver in Narnia.”

Despite himself Edmund smiles back. For a second, it’s like no time passed at all, like all those moments when this castle was still standing and so beautiful and full of people yet Edmund had eyes only for Peter and…

And then Peter makes a small step closer and the second is gone. Edmund hastily makes a step back, flailing a little because suddenly there’s no more chest to lean back against.

“That’s great, Peter, but what happens when we get back to England again?”

Back in the old days Edmund didn’t even think it was possible for them to go back, but after this last year and after seeing their beloved castle in ruins… Edmund is the strategist. He knows the pattern now. He’s not getting played this time.

Peter’s face darkens and Edmund’s back goes straight almost automatically.

Maybe it is something in the Narnian air making them… different. Or maybe it’s just forcing them to… grow up more quickly than they would otherwise. Looking back at their last life here, it definitely did that before. Because even though Peter was angry most of the time they spent in England, he never quite managed to pull this frightening face of his.

“Who says we’re going back?”

And maybe some of Edmund’s own looks are coming back as well, because he’s sure that even though he tried, he wasn’t quite able to pull the deadpan expression he now gives Peter.

“You know who, Peter. You might be the High King, but it’s always been him ruling over us, hasn’t it?”

And maybe Edmund is angry as well. But not at his siblings or at Narnia herself. He’s sure that Lucy would consider it a heresy, but he’s angry at Aslan. After all, he was the one to teach them what magic is, what it means, and that love is beautiful in every form. Just to thrust them back to the rigid morale of Great Britain.

Peter’s face doesn’t change and for the first time Edmund realizes that maybe, just maybe, they share their anger fully, not just in aspects of it. If he is angry at Aslan…

Edmund never before saw Peter questioning Aslan’s ruling. He might not believe in him as wholly and fully as Lucy, but he does have a deep faith in him that Edmund always lacked. Back during their first visit of Narnia he saw it as a sign that he’s still not as worthy as his other siblings, that he still has things to atone for. But looking back at it he realizes that Susan has always been skeptical of Lucy’s blind faith in him as much as Edmund himself.

“Well, we’re not. Going back. There’s nothing left for us, is there?” Peter’s lips curl a little into a snarl and Edmund finds himself agreeing completely. While they found friendship in the old professor, that’s the only person in that world that doesn’t drive them completely crazy. Their own parents don’t understand them and Edmund saw the way they sometimes watch them. With fear in their eyes and worry on their lips. “He made us kings. Remember what he said? Once a king in Narnia, forever a king in Narnia.” Peter’s smile turns almost dangerous. “He made us what we are today. And if we say we’re not going back, we’re not going back.”

Edmund carefully watches Peter’s face. The year in England transformed him almost as much as all those years in Narnia, he realizes.

But then again, it probably changed all of them.

Edmund wonders if they’ll be able to go back to the kings and queens they used to be. The ones their subjects loved and respected.

“Even if we have to fight Aslan for it?”

Some of the intensity of Peter’s face fades and his eyes soften as he looks straight at Edmund. His fingers twitch a little and Peter moves them forward just a bit before letting them fall again.

“With you on my side? I’m willing to fight anyone and everyone, Aslan included.”

Something tightens in Edmund’s chest and he looks away from Peter.

“And you say you don’t have a way with words. You always knew how to make sweet promises.”

“And I always kept them!”

“Not always.” Now Edmund looks sharply at Peter. “Up to a point, yes. Then...”

“That’s not fair!” The familiar figure that is king Peter melts in front of Edmund’s eyes and leaves behind the boy that became known to Edmund again over this past year. “England is different! The… rules, the restriction. I… I couldn’t, Ed.”

“Fuck England!” Now Edmund’s anger is back, furious and consuming and still hurting Edmund so, so much. “We spent a year at the professor’s house and you know he wouldn’t judge. He’s been to Narnia!”

“Yes, but what then? We weren’t staying at the professor’s forever and I couldn’t be sure that we would ever visit Narnia again.”

“Then you should have talked to me!”

The silence that settles after Edmund screams that at Peter is almost deafening. And not only because Edmund finally moved to Peter and not away from him, so now they’re standing nose to nose. Edmund needs to look up a bit and Peter needs to look down, but that is not something they’re unfamiliar with. But the exact angle of it is… strange.

And then Peter’s hand is on Edmund’s neck and Edmund is leaning into the touch, getting on his tiptoes to help with the angle of the kiss. Now that is familiar.

Edmund doesn’t even think about it when he presses his hand against Peter’s face and opens his mouth. Peter immediately sucks in his lower lip and Edmund sighs before he’s too busy responding to Peter’s tongue. He moves his hand gently and is surprised to find the skin under his fingers smooth and silky.

He starts laughing. Giggling, really, at first, but it grows and soon they need to separate because he’s laughing now. Peter looks at him with soft adoration as well as amusement.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re such a baby.”

“Me?!” Peter snorts, not able to hold back his own smile. “I’m the one making out with a literal thirteen year old right now.”

Edmund rests his forehead on Peter’s shoulder and laughs a little more. Peter’s hand moves from his neck to his hair and with surprise Edmund realizes that Peter’s other arm is already around Edmund’s waist. And it feels so good, so right.

Their bodies are different, still have years to grow, but they still fit together so well it almost makes Edmund cry.

He closes his eyes and leans into the embrace, let’s himself be soothed with Peter’s touch.

“Don’t ever leave me again.”

He whispers it, on the verge of tears and so desperate to hold on to Peter, to his High King.

Peter kisses his hair before resting his head against Edmund’s.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, Ed.”

***

They manage to find clothes that are sufficient enough. Not their armour and they need to… adjust the clothes they do settle on.

Lucy looks almost comical in a dress that’s far too big for her and her way of dealing with that is to cut it just above her knees. Susan does not look happy about it, but she does have to admit that while her dress needs just a small adjustment, Lucy’s dresses just don’t have a chance to fit her right now.

It all goes down quickly after that and suddenly Edmund is sword fighting with a dwarf. And not even his preferred style of sword fighting, with two shorter swords, but the “proper” sword fighting Peter prefers. Yet he can feel the knowledge of how to fight, truly fight, coming back to him with every single movement he makes in that duel, so that’s that.

He wins. He’s just a little bit surprised by that, since the dwarf has apparently been involved in something like… a revolt? While Edmund spent the last year in England, not allowed close to a sword.

The professor managed to arrange archery lessons at least, but his maid absolutely refused to deal with teenagers sword fighting, and Edmund can’t really blame her for that. Plus, he always wanted to learn archery but never seemed to have the time for it in Narnia.

“So,” Peter speaks up softly next to Edmund as they watch Susan defeat the dwarf in archery, “another war, huh?”

“Were you really expecting anything else?” Edmund sighs, not quite able to mask his own irritation with it.

It took them years to manage to wrangle Narnia to a lasting peace. And they didn’t have even three years of that. Of course when they come back they need to fight again.

“At least it doesn’t seem like the country is in as much mess as it was after we defeated Jadis?”

Edmund smiles indulgently at Peter.

“The majority of people don’t even believe that Narnians exist, Peter. We might not have to literally fight dark creatures for every inch of our land, but we have our work cut for us.”

Because if the dwarf is telling the truth it’s been over a millennium since they were forcibly removed from Narnia and Telmarines took their country and made it into… well, into something that sounds like middle ages England, not Narnia.

They travel to the place this Caspian (prince of Telmarines, nephew of the hated king; Edmund really needs to start his networking as soon as possible otherwise he won’t be able to figure out this political mess) is gathering his army. Apparently, he was the one to call them.

They look after each other and hunt occasionally. Trumpkin (the dwarf) watches them a little strangely when they let Lucy be the one to go hunting or when Peter and Edmund go to sleep pressed close together, Peter kissing Edmund’s temple and Edmund leaning into his touch. It’s nothing explicit, just to reassure themselves that they are there.

Their way gets complicated when they realize that the land that once was so familiar to them is different now. It makes sense and Edmund curses himself for not realizing so sooner. Of course the land changed over the thousand years.

When they finally arrive, it’s just in time to save Caspian and Edmund is angry. And he’s not alone.

“What were you thinking? Dark creatures, dark magic?! If you really want Aslan’s help, that’s the one way to assure you won’t get it!”

Edmund stands back and adds his own glaring to Peter’s rage. It used to be hard to anger Peter and it’s still scary to see him seethe with it. The Narnians around them are shaking just a bit.

What Edmund doesn’t know is – Peter is just part of it. He is the most vocal and most dynamic one, pacing the room and gesturing widely, yes. But Lucy’s glare and her hand on her dagger, Susan’s quiet disappointment and the posture of a mother scolding her children, and Edmund’s quiet, dark glare along with his proud posture and his two swords by his sides help finish the picture that makes Narnians almost quiver in front of them.

Nobody points out that they’re just children. They might look like children, but their mannerism, their stance, their whole being tell a different story. They tell the story of powerful monarchs who are used to people obeying them.

***

Peter comes up with the brilliant idea of duel.

Of course, the idea itself is a good one. If it goes as expected the war will be over without any more deaths. And the realization of such a duel will take some time to prepare, giving Peter time to remember what he knew all those years ago and perhaps even to practice in this young body that was never as efficient in battle as his older version.

But at the same time…

“You see the problem in it, right?” Edmund just looks at Susan. “Don’t give me that look, Edmund! I’m just as worried about him as you are.”

Edmund deflates.

“Our army is not one army but a million individuals fighting for a common cause, we don’t have any net of reliable spies, and we are challenging them to a duel that is traditional in our, Narnian, tradition, not something they’re due to respect. What could go wrong?”

Susan’s face is pained and worried and for a moment Edmund feels terrible for making her feel even worse. So he smiles.

“What is it Peter and Lucy always tell us? We think too hard?”

Susan smiles the tiniest bit, but the worry doesn’t disappear.

“It is the best plan we have right now.”

Edmund sighs.

“I know. Why do you think I agreed to it?”

There’s a beat of silence.

“We could have Caspain take Peter’s place instead.”

“No.” The answer is immediate and definitive and Susan nods as he says it, expecting no less. “Caspian is too young and too inexperienced. And Narnia needs him. If we’re to unite the Telmarines and the Narnians, we need him on the throne.”

Now Susan’s face changes. It goes from the openness Susan is (or used to be, maybe, who knows with these strange timelines) known for into a carefully blank face Susan can use as well as Edmund, but usually prefers not to.

“You and Peter are not coming back to England, are you?”

Edmund sighs, looking away.

“Peter is… He thinks he’s ready to fight Aslan if it comes down to that.”

“And you?”

Edmund looks away, thinking back.

There’s nothing left for them in England. Edmund liked the professor, but now that they’re going back to school and are back with their parents there’s no reason to think that they’d have an opportunity to go back for any meaningful time. And Edmund can still feel the looks of their parents. Fearful, suspicious.

They don’t belong to England. Susan was able to reshape herself back to what England expected of them. She was the one who kept closest to the English traditions even in Narnia, but even she needed to… shut off parts of herself to be able to fit in Britain. Edmund was able to blend in thanks to the skills he learned with his spy network, keeping to himself and not talking much. But Peter and Lucy… they suffered in England.

Edmund looks back at Susan. He’s certain that if she even hears about their plans, Lucy will happily agree to stay in Narnia as well. He’s not as sure that she’ll be comfortable fighting Aslan for it, but she’d be more than happy to stay.

Susan… he’s not that sure about Susan.

“Yes,” he finally gives her the answer. Then he snorts, unamused. “I don’t exactly like our chances if it does come down to a fight against Aslan, but...”

He’s pragmatic. And he’d rather die with Peter holding his hand than live with Peter keeping his distance, with the society they live in keeping them apart.

“What about you?” he adds quickly, watching Susan closely. “Would you stay, too?”

Susan gulps and looks away, her hands coming up to play with a pendant on a chain.

It’s different for Susan, Edmund knows. Lucy fell in love with Narnia herself and it was the land, the magic, the wildness she missed the most once they got back to Britain. And for Edmund and Peter it was their relationship that was hurting them the most. Narnia taught them that love is love, that they can be together and that they can be happy. That being together, loving each other, is the key to their happiness. But Britain has different standards and it hurt so much. But Susan…

As painful as it was having the love of your life right next to you and not being able to touch him, it’s something. Susan, on the other hand, left everything behind. All her love, all her care, and all her worry for her people, but more importantly – her fiance.

And when they finally came back, it’s just to find out that it’s been more than a thousand years and her beloved fiance is long dead.

Edmund can’t imagine the heartbreak she’s feeling right now.

On their way here he tried to talk to her about it, but she always just forced a smile and said that she’s fine.

She isn’t.

“I don’t know,” she responds finally, looking at Edmund with sad eyes. “Ask me again when it’s an actual, real choice I can make.”

Slowly, Edmund nods.

“I’m sorry, Susan.”

“Yes. I’m sorry, too.”

***

Edmund is sent to deliver the challenge, per his request. Peter is not happy about that and he frets as he and the Giant and the centaur are getting ready for their delegation.

“My tunic is fine,” Edmund rolls his eyes as Peter tries to press it against his shoulders for the seventh time. “Stop fretting, the whole army is watching and you’re just making them nervous.”

Peter frowns darkly.

“What about me? I am already nervous.”

Edmund rolls his eyes.

“Come on, Pete. How many times have we been over this? You’re the warrior, I’m the diplomat, we both have our roles to play.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like the fact that I’m sending you to the enemy army in your thirteen year old body.”

Edmund glares at him.

“I’m delivering a challenge of my lover in a seventeen year old body to a literal king who’s… what, in his forties and used to fighting in his body? Imagine how I feel.”

Peter chuckles and takes Edmund’s face into his hands and kisses him. Edmund leans into it, relaxing into the kiss.

Suddenly Edmund’s aware of the noise coming from behind Peter, from their army. Mostly everyone gathered to watch the delegation leave and now they’re reacting to the revelation that their two ancient kings, brothers, are in fact lovers.

Peter leans to rest his forehead against Edmund’s, effectively ending the kiss.

“I knew we forgot to do something.”

Edmund chuckles.

“So… they’re not taking it as well as the last time, are they?”

When they first announced that they’re together their people just stared at them for a moment before Mr. Tumnus timidly asked what the news is. So yes, apparently everyone already assumed they’re together long before they even became aware that there are feelings between the two of them beyond brotherly love.

“They’ll deal with it,” Peter says easily and leans back to look at Edmund once more. Edmund rolls his eyes as Peter once more adjusts the way Edmund’s light blue tunic rests on his shoulders. “Be safe, yeah?”

“Always. Try not to antagonize too much of our army, will you?”

“I’m not that bad!”

***

The challenge is accepted and they have the time to train at least something. All four Pevensies get new armour from the dark dwarves and Edmund doesn’t like them much but he has to admit that they did a good job with their armours.

Their army is not happy that they plan to approach the duel as a battle including positions of different parts of their army at different strategic places, but Edmund and Susan are able to keep the peace and persuade everyone that it is better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.

The evening before the duel is set to take place, Aslan arrives.

“See?” Lucy grins at them widely from her place firmly next to Aslan. She’s the only one who moved closer to him, not away. And the Pevensies simply didn’t move at all. “I told you that if we did everything right he would come to help us!”

Peter and Edmund exchange a look before looking at Susan. She just nods and turns to general Glenstorm.

“Double check that everyone’s armour is the best it can be and that their weapons are sharp and ready to go at a moment's notice. A last minute strategy meeting will be held in an hour. Check on the people in the infirmary. If one’s not ready to fight, they are no longer allowed to watch the duel.”

The general salutes and Edmund’s eyes slip to Lucy. Lucy, who for a second looks shocked before her back goes straight and the way she touches Aslan’s mane goes from soft to rigid.

But all the same she says in a small voice: “But… Aslan is here now.”

“Which means that there will be a battle.”

Edmund’s heart clenches when Peter speaks up and he turns to look at him. Peter smiles a little sadly and takes Edmund’s hand.

“It’s too early to worry about the outcome of the duel yet. I am ready and we will deal with everything that will come tomorrow.” Then Peter turns to Aslan and the gentleness and care disappear from his voice. “Is there any way we can wake up the land? The dryads, naiads?”

The way Aslan’s eyes slip to their hands worries Edmund. That, and the fact that he can’t read anything from Aslan. But it’s not surprising. Edmund was too young when he was crowned and he learned all his skills later. And Aslan never showed up. He shouldn’t have expected to be able to read him now.

“You can’t. But perhaps if Susan and Lucy leave with me-”

“No.” Susan interrupts Aslan and the simple action sends a strange effect throughout the room. It’s just the four of them and Caspian in the room with Aslan, but Edmund is sure that they all feel the dread along their spines. “Someone needs to coordinate our forces from behind, from an archers’ perspective. Peter is walking into a duel and he needs Edmund and Caspian by his side. And if something goes wrong, which I assume it will since you’re here,” Edmund glances at Aslan but he can’t say if he caught the subtle jab at him, “they’ll all be up front. And they belong there. I’m the best archer in the room anyway. I’m intimately familiar with our battle strategy and I have the experience to react to anything on a moment’s notice. And if there’s going to be a battle, it will mean people dying. Our people.” There’s something raw and aggressive in the way she says those last two words. “I’m staying with them. And you can’t make me leave.”

Susan stares at Aslan, fury clearly visible in every inch of her body. Edmund can’t look away.

The movement that disturbs that equilibrium comes, surprisingly, from Lucy. She makes a careful step away from Aslan and towards the place that’s left free in between Edmund and Susan.

“Susan is right.” Lucy’s voice is shaking just a little bit, but she juts her chin out and Edmund knows she won’t take no for an answer. They usually take Peter’s last word as final in whatever discussion they have, but when Lucy stood like that they all knew that she’s not backing down this time. Most of the time, Peter let her have her way, but in the scarce times when he didn’t there was always a terrible fight. “I can’t leave our people behind. Not when I have a choice.” She says it slowly, as if just realizing something. “I won’t just stand by when our people are dying for us.” She stands proud and tall and for the first time in a year Edmund can see the woman she’s going to grow up to be in her.

Slowly, Aslan moves to look around the room to carefully look at each of them.

“You are no longer children, are you?”

Edmund squeezes Peter’s hand and Peter squeezes right back.

“How could we be children?” Edmund can’t help it, the anger and frustration just has to get out. “After everything we’ve been through? After the lives we led here?! We grew up! We led our people into wars and we helped them get through bad crops and we cultivated Narnia into a proper country, renewed diplomatic ties with every other country around and managed to start relationships with most of them! We learned the culture of naiads and dryads and we partied with the satyrs and threw balls for everyone, every animal, creature, and person in Narnia and some outside of it. We fell in love and we had our hearts broken and...”

And now Edmund is crying and the only reason why he’s not attacking Aslan in his anger and frustration is Peter who’s holding him close.

“And the biggest heartbreak came from you!” Susan’s tears are free falling down her cheeks. “Did you ever think about what it did to us? Leading full lives, growing up, and then suddenly…Did you ever think about everything we lost? That maybe I...”

Susan’s hand goes to her stomach, as if unconsciously. With his heart breaking once more Edmund realizes that he’s seen her standing like that during their year in Britain, always deep in thought while at the same time looking sad.

Susan collapses to her knees and starts sobbing. Edmund is paralyzed with the realization and so is Peter. So it’s Caspaian who’s first by Susan’s side, kneeling next to her and hesitantly asking if it’s alright to touch her before laying his hand on Susan’s shoulder.

“What do you need the girls’ help with anyway?” Peter says, cold and furious. Edmund tugs his hand just a little bit, concerned about the way Peter is glaring at Aslan. “You’re Aslan, the whole land belongs to you. We really could use their help. But hey, if you don’t want to, don’t. We will figure something out anyway. We always did before.”

They turn their backs to Aslan and surround Susan, hoping to give her some strength and reassurance.

The next time Edmund turns around, to get a glass of water for Susan, Aslan is gone.

***

Susan puts herself together just in time for the strategy meeting. Edmund still can see the tear tracks on her cheeks, but no one else reacts to it, so maybe he’s just projecting.

The meeting is not long and when it’s done Susan quickly leaves. Peter gets up just a second after her, but he hesitates and turns to Edmund. Edmund smiles sadly and moves his head, telling him to go after her.

He stays behind to exchange a few words with everyone interested in such a social activity. It’s good to keep an ear to the ground, but things like these will with any luck help him establish the Narnian spy network as well.

When he’s finally done with it it’s hours later and he’s still tense from their talk with Aslan. He makes his way to the grounds they have set aside for training.

The space is almost empty, yet Edmund recognizes Lucy right away. She’s training with her dagger on a wooden figure they made for sword lessons. She’s quick and vicious and Edmund can tell that most of the times the places she hits would be lethal wounds on a human.

Somehow, Edmund forgot just how… feral his little sister can be.

“Lucy?”

She turns around with a snarl, but her face is a mess from her tears.

“Oh, Lucy.”

He extends his arms and Lucy flees to him, burying her face in his chest as Edmund presses her close to himself, kissing the top of her head. She says something, but it’s lost in Edmund’s tunic and Edmund smiles.

“Sorry, Lu, I can’t hear you like that.”

Lucy moves her head enough to be heard when she speaks.

“I forgot, Ed. I remembered Narnia, but I forgot us.”

Edmund assumed as much. From her reaction to them reacting to Aslan as well as from what she talked about when she talked about Narnia in Britain. While he and Susan often talked about different wars and diplomatic missions and yes, occasionally about balls and celebrations, the latter two were the only things Lucy remembered. And she always talked about them as a child who’s playing a game.

“It’s alright, Lucy.”

“No, no it’s not.” Lucy starts quietly sobbing. “How cou-how could I? I for-I forgot the person I was! I forgot who I am...”

Edmund presses her closer to himself, running one of his hands through her golden hair.

“But you remember now, though, right?”

She looks up at him, her face set in an expression she learned in Narnia and that doesn’t sit quite well on her child’s face.

“Yes. And considering what I remember, I can’t believe Aslan would ask me to… run away from battle, abandon my people, to go play with him.”

“You wouldn’t be playing.” Edmund is not entirely comfortable with defending Aslan, but… Lucy’s belief in him is such a strong part of her that Edmund is not sure what this disappointment will do to her. “And we could really use the help of the land itself.”

Something in Lucy’s eyes sparkles and she leans back just enough to take Edmund’s wrist.

“Well, we should do something about it, shouldn’t we?”

“What?” But before Edmund can really do anything Lucy tugs him into a nearby wood. “Lucy, we can’t… we shouldn’t...”

“The Telmarine army is in the other direction from our camp. Plus,” she adds, smirking at Edmund, “I know where I am going.”

They stumble through the wood, their small feet suddenly not responding right to the movements they are used to. Lucy starts humming a song that’s vaguely familiar to Edmund and before he knows what’s going on they’re dancing and humming and occasionally Lucy is singing and the wood responds to them. The birds start singing much more than they should, so late in the evening, and the leaves start moving without a breeze to explain it.

Edmund laughs as he swirls, looking up to the sky and seeing the movement for himself.

“Should have brought Peter and Susan with us. Narnia always listened to Peter.”

“It listened to all of us,” Lucy giggles. “You and Susan were just too busy to see it and Peter is just a touch oblivious. Wouldn’t you say?”

And her laugh echoes around the wood and it’s so catchy that soon Edmund laughs right with her.

Lucy sings and dances and Edmund is caught up in it with her, apprehending just his own movements and Lucy and the trees and the magic all around them. And then Lucy sings a song Edmund knows and since then they sing together. Edmund isn’t sure when he lost his shoes but now they’re dancing barefoot.

And then suddenly Lucy stops and Edmund stops with her and they’re the only still thing in the whole wood. Everything else is still in motion.

“Narnia!” Lucy screams and the movement stops. “Narnia, we need your help! Aslan came back and so did we, your kings and queens of old. We’re fighting for you and ready for you and as long as we’re alive we won’t allow anyone to treat you in such a shameful way that you feel the need to retreat! So promise I, queen Lucy, the Valiant!”

There’s a boom of magic even Edmund can feel and it compels Edmund to scream as well: “To the Western March, I will die before I let anyone treat you the way the Telmarines treat you! So promise I, king Edmund, the Just!”

The wave of magic actually pushes Edmund to fall on his butt. Lucy laughs at him when she sees it.

“Such a shame you never made your way to the wood orgies, Edmund. This wouldn’t surprise you otherwise.”

Edmund rolls his eyes, but he can’t fight the smile that persists on his face. 

“What did we just do?”

Lucy’s smile falls before she looks around the wood, once again still and unmoving.

“I’m not sure. I think we did wake some of the old magic, but...”

Something brushes the back of Edmund’s head and he turns around just to find a low hanging branch of a nearby tree. It’s once again still and a solid space away from him. But he’s sure it just caressed him.

“Hopefully, Aslan will work his magic as well. We did what we could now.”

***

The duel goes on well, up until the point when Peter kills his opponent and the Telmarines scream betrayal.

“What the hell do they think the duel to death is?” Edmund grits out as he drags Peter as far away from their enemies as he can before they need to turn around and ready themselves for the incoming battle.

“All I know is I’m already ahead.”

The memory comes to Edmund suddenly and he rolls his eyes.

“Oh come on! Duel deaths don’t count in the battle kill. We’re both starting from zero.”

They used to do this a lot, especially when they first took their thrones. It’s easier to take in the horrors of battles when you have a game to play.

Keeping an eye on Peter is a habit that comes to Edmund naturally. Keeping an eye on Caspian, on the other hand, is trickier. Edmund is relieved when Lucy makes her way to them, takes one look at Edmund and Peter, fighting back to back, and goes to Caspian, positioning herself at his back.

When Edmund has the time to check he sees that archers are busy as expected and their strategy is working. But that doesn’t eliminate the numbers. Telmarines had 15 soldiers for every one of theirs at the beginning of the battle and even though they’re doing good so far, Edmund is aware that it takes one bad turn and everything can change.

Peter takes his arm and turns him away, taking the head of the soldier who almost killed Edmund in his moment of carelessness.

“Edmund!”

“I know, I know. Sorry!”

The battle goes on for some more time. Edmund is becoming aware that his hands are starting to shake just when the next soldier that jumps up in front of Edmund is swatted away by… is that a root?

Edmund finds himself with enough time to look around.

The magic came back. The nature all around them seems to help Narnians on every turn while scaring the Telmarines to no end. They soon start to run away from them and the Narnians, their army follow them with screams that resonate all around. Peter and Edmund look at each other before Peter crushes Edmund to himself. Edmund is careful to keep both his swords away from Peter, but happily bites right back, the kiss aggressive and a touch playful.

“Should have known I’d find you there.” They look up just to find Susan on a horse, standing nearby while the rest of her archers seem to be searching the now abandoned battle ground. “Come on, you two. This is not done yet.”

Their smiles fall and they nod. Susan urges her horse to hurry after their army and Peter and Edmund run after them.

What they find at the river is not what they expected. The battle is over and done and the Narnians are stripping the Telmarine soldiers from their weapons. Aslan is talking to Caspian and Lucy stands nearby, but the moment she sees them she runs to them.

“Have you seen the trees?” Lucy smiles widely at them. “They came, Edmund, they came!”

“And I’m sure it has everything to do with us and not Aslan,” Edmund snorts, putting his swords back to their sheaths, making a mental note to clean them later. Lucy looks at him as if he’s a dummy.

“Aslan woke the water, making sure that the soldiers wouldn’t be able to flee. But the woods?” She smirks and it doesn’t sit quite right on her small face. “That was us. Aslan said so.”

“Your majesties.”

They are pulled to all directions. Lucy goes take care of the wounded and Susan goes with her, organizing care for them and making sure that everyone is accounted for. Peter goes with the general to encourage the troops and Edmund makes his way to where prisoners are starting to be taken.

Well, prisoners. They don’t have enough resources to organize a temporary prison right there, at the site of… well, almost-battle. But there are a number of Telmarinian soldiers that were stripped of their weapons and are now watched by… mice. But it works, because the soldiers are apparently terrified of the talking mice.

Edmund takes the time to talk to some of them and they all seem to believe that Narnians are savages, rogue animals who got the power of speech from dark magic. And they all seem terrified of what those beasts will do to them now.

“Didn’t you believe that Narnians are extinct just… what, a few months ago?”

The soldiers exchange an unsure look.

“Well, yes.”

Edmund has to give it to Miraz – he had a way with propaganda.

Only then Edmund makes his way to the two prisoners held separate, held by two centaurs. The prisoners are sitting on the ground, one of them is ranting angrily.

“I assume I owe you two thanks for making Miraz agree to the duel.”

The man who was ranting until then shuts up and they both look up to see Edmund. Edmund smirks at them as they frown.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t,” Edmund answers easily. “Now. There’s a few ways this can go. Once we gather the soldiers that are left here you will talk to them. With Miraz dead and you his generals you’re in charge. You will tell them to cease and desist any and all attacks against the old Narnians and we will let them go. We will keep you, weaponless and with guards assigned to each of you. In that state you will come back with us and we will try to find a compromise. That’s the easiest way and honestly, the way I’d prefer it.”

They exchange a look.

“And the other choice?”

Edmund puts on a mask of a nasty smirk. He does not want to do this one. But if the two in front of him choose that… well. Edmund is sure he can think of something.

“We will kill each and every one of your soldiers and keep you prisoners. And not the nice kind I just described.”

Edmund waits patiently, aware of the Narnians starting to celebrate behind him. He misses his adult body. He wasn’t exactly imposing, but he was tall. Not as tall as Peter, of course, but it always helped in situations like this.

Finally, the men look at him and nod.

“We will do as you ask.”

Edmund nods before turning to their guards.

“Make sure they are weaponless. If you’ll have to have one of the mice search them intimately so be it, but I do not want them to have anything they could use to hurt anyone on them. Then wait for someone to deliver the speech they will give the other soldiers. I will write it myself.”

***

Edmund stares at the crowns in front of them, aware that his siblings are standing next to him, most likely with the same expression as he has.

He’s not sure what he’s supposed to feel when he looks at them, but… all he feels is pain.

“I… I don’t think I can...”

Edmund quickly looks to Susan, happy to see that Peter and Lucy are already each holding one of her hands.

“What kind of message does it send,” he wonders aloud, “if we arrive at Caspian’s coronation in our crowns?”

“It will show that you support his claim, steadying his already difficult position.”

“We can do that without the crowns. After all, our experience surely will be more valuable than some gesture.”

“Peter.”

Aslan's voice is heavy with disappointment. Edmund glares at him.

“What was it you said when crowning us?” Peter says lightly, as if honestly curious, but his eyes are much darker than usual as he stares at Aslan. “Once a king or queen in Narnia, always a king or queen in Narnia. We’re happy to step back to let the next generation reign for a change, but we are not willing to give up the part that promises us life in Narnia!”

“Narnia is not your true world, children. You came to Narnia just to learn to believe-”

“Don’t you dare!” Edmund jumps a little and is surprised to realize that while Lucy’s and Susan’s hands are still linked together, it’s no more for Susan. In fact, Susan seems to be holding Lucy physically back. “Don’t you dare say that Narnia is some… learning tool for us! She’s much more than that and she proved it when she started to raise against the tyranny that was forced on her long before we arrived! You gave us the duties of kings and queens and now you just… expect us to go back to being children? How dare you?!”

“We will wear the crowns,” Edmund says softly and tries to ignore the betrayal with which Susan looks at him. “We will be the symbol you want us to be. And we will stay and provide counsel to Caspian and help Narnia reach its former glory. These are our terms and we are not open to debate them.”

Aslan looks at him with sad eyes before he once again looks over them all.

“Is that what you all wish?”

Now Edmund looks to Susan. She smiles at him before looking straight at Aslan.

“Yes.”

“Your parents-”

“Are afraid of us.” They all turn to look at Lucy. She shrugs. “I might be a child again, but I still can see. Mother trembles every time she has to touch me and father prefers spending his time at war than with us now. We don’t belong there.”

“Very well.” Aslan’s voice finally settles on the soothing quality Edmund remembers it having. “I can give you back the bodies you had when you left Narnia last time, but in doing so you will lose the fifteen years you now might have again in here.”

Peter takes Edmund’s hand and when Edmund looks at him he’s smiling at him. Edmund grins.

“Are you really asking me to go through puberty twice for you?”

“For fifteen extra years with you? Yes.”

“You are so disgustingly sweet. Stop it.” Lucy makes a face. “But I’m not becoming the oldest! Susan?”

For the longest moment Susan is silent and Lucy makes a face as Susan squeezes her hand too hard. But in the end she looks at Aslan.

“I’ll take the extra fifteen years.”

***

The castle that is nowadays known as Miraz’s castle is surprisingly beautiful.

“Castle of Caspian,” Susan corrects Edmund when he mentions it to his siblings. “It was the original name and I think I prefer it.”

“You sure you don’t just prefer Caspian?” Lucy asks, a mischievous smile and all. Susan snorts, but her cheeks color a bit.

“Maybe in a year or three. He’s sweet, but he still has leagues to go. Don’t you think?”

“I’m eleven,” Lucy shrugs. “Even thinking about it makes my brain hurt. It’s a shame, really. I heard that the fauns are really enjoying their celebrations.”

“You’re a menace, Lucy.”

It takes some time to prepare it for the coronation but it’s worth it. The whole castle is decorated by dryads themselves, making the decorations last much longer than they reasonably should. The crowd that comes to the ceremony is made up from a mix of Telmarines and old Narnians.

Edmund has been working hard on talking to Telmarines and bringing… representable Narnians along with him to start changing the minds of Telmarines and maybe, hopefully, to start a network of people keeping the royalty informed about what’s going on around the country. It seems like it’s already working, since children seem to be delighted to interact with old Narnians and parents watch with just a hint of fear that could be interpreted as usual worry a parent has for their children.

Aslan crowns Caspian with the same flourish he crowned the siblings lifetimes ago and Caspian delivers a speech that was heavily consulted with Edmund and Susan. But Edmund is happy to say that Caspian was the one to approach them about it and the ideas of unity and hopeful future in it are all Caspian. Edmund and Susan just helped him polish the language.

The only people still under the watch of the Narnian army are the two generals and the woman who was the king’s wife. Peter was uncomfortable placing her under arrest, especially with her small child with her. But it’s the smart thing to do – politically speaking, the child is the one person who can endanger Caspian in the eyes of Telmarines. Not old Narnians, not with Aslan being the one who crowned him. But Telmarines are Narnians now and Edmund hopes that they will be able to stop dividing them such and will be able to unite them instead.

Aslan helps with that. He gathers the Telmarines who are still unhappy with the situation in the country and he requests Caspian and the siblings to be there. He explains how the Telmarines found their way to Narnia and honestly, Edmund is not at all surprised. It seems like all people in Narnia come originally from Earth. Either from that time the professor was here when Narnia itself was born or from other occurrences, it all comes back to Earth.

As Aslan builds the door and lets the general and the old queen walk through it fear grips Edmund. Surely Aslan didn’t ask for them to be here just to…

But nothing terrible happens. Those who want to leave Narnia do so, but there’s a surprising number of people who don’t want to do so. Aslan collapses the door and Caspian steps in to speak to the Telmarines about their concerns. There are no Narnians here this time and so the Telmarines feel freer to voice their concerns and Caspian is there to answer them.

Of course he’s still unsure how exactly to do so, so Susan steps in to help him handle it in a diplomatic way. Edmund just hopes that Caspian is a better diplomat than Lucy.

“Aslan?”

Edmund looks back to where Lucy is looking. Aslan is walking away from them, unnoticed by almost everyone. Edmund moves to throw his arm around Lucy’s shoulders and Peter mirrors him on the other side of her.

“He’s a wild lion, Lucy. No one can tame him.”

Softly, Lucy nods. Then she smirks as she looks up at Peter.

“But we came pretty close, don’t you think?”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are love and any comments are always appreciated


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